Digital Winter (45 page)

6. Roni's view of Christians is changed by the actions of several people, including her husband, Dr. Southwell (a Baptist preacher), and Jose (a Christian patient). How did they exemplify the gospel?

7. Donny Elton is a savant, extremely gifted in one area of life yet unable to care for himself. His disorder, which empowers him but also brings about great damage, changes the world forever. Was he just a tool of Eli Shade? Why would God allow such a thing to take place? Is Donny guilty?

8. Eli Shade is unlike any other antagonist, yet he is familiar in many ways. Whom does he remind you of?

9. Jeremy faces the fact that something is going on he can't explain. All his knowledge about computers and digital warfare isn't enough to explain all that he sees. In the book, he never gets the answers he wants. Is this true to our life experiences? Do you have questions that go unanswered?

10. This story doesn't end “happily ever after.” It is meant to replicate life. What do you think happens after this?

11. Jeremy makes clear that he is no prophecy expert, but he knows a great deal. Nonetheless, we get the idea that things are unfolding a little differently that he guessed they would. Is that likely with our understanding of prophecy? Are there things we don't know? What questions about the end times do you have? Do you think we humans have it all figured out, or are there still mysteries about the days to come?

12. In your view, who is Liam Burr?

13. Who is Fred Pierce?

During a radio interview recently, one of us was asked what, beyond the obvious, is the difference between fiction and nonfiction. The answer? Nonfiction is education; fiction is exploration. In this book, we describe events that might fit the biblical narrative about the days leading to the end times. What is presented is the outcome of a series of what-if questions. That is how fiction works. It is not meant to replace scholarly works on the subject but to put a face on what might happen.

Our goal is to entertain in a way that prompts you to wonder and think. With a topic like this, entertainment is not the ultimate goal. We hope that this work will whet your appetite for the prophetic material of the Bible. Much of God's plan about the future is still hidden, and we have tried to respect that. What is presented here is a creative scenario of what could happen, not what will. Only God knows those details.

Thank you for reading, and may God bless you.

Dr. Mark Hitchcock
Alton Gansky

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